The Pygmy water buffalo (Bubalus cebuensis) also known as 'dwarf buffalo' is an extinct 'dwarf' buffalo found in the Cebu islands of the Phillippines. The Pygmy water buffalo is related to the Asian water buffalo as they have the same genus 'bubalus', but unlike the Asian water buffalo, the Pygmy water buffalo is relatively small in size. It has only been documented in recent years of around 1995 although it was uncovered by Michael Armas, a mining engineer in 1958. It is believed that the Pygmy water buffalo once roamed the land a great 10,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Comparison of size of different buffalos. Source: http://www.cryptomundo.com/wp-content/buffalo1.jpg
Scientific Classification (Bubalus Cebuensis)
Level
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Artiodactyla
Family
Bovidae
Genus
Bubalus
Species
Bubalus Cebuensis
Habitat
Standing at only two and one half feet and weighing 350 pounds, the extinct Pygmy water buffalo is nothing like the modern Asian water buffalo that it is related to. The Asian water buffalo stands at around 6 feet tall and its weight may vary to over 2000 pounds. Although its size may be a big
Location of Pygmy Water Buffalo. Source: (image only) http://www.ephilippine.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/philippines-map.gif
difference from it's relative the modern day Asian water buffalo, the habitat that it inhabited may be quite similar. It is believed that the ancestor of the Pygmy water buffalo was similar in size to the buffalos these days, but during 10,000-100,000 years ago, when an ice age occured due to a drop in sea levels and allowed animals to migrate to other countries, this ancestor migrated to the 7000 islands found in Philippines and precisely the Cebu island in Philippines where the fossilised Bubalus Cebuensis was unearthed. However, not long after that, during the end of the Pleistocene epoch, the ice sheets soon melted and there was no other way for the animals that migrated to the islands to escape.
With the fossil of the Bubalus Cebuensis unearthed in Philippines, it comes to show that the habitat of the Asian water buffalo and the Bubalus Cebuensis is not that different. The conditions of Philippines is mostly hot and humid, the type of conditions where water buffalos nowadays inhabit. The tropical climates of the Philippines implies that the weather is usually hot and therefore if the sweat glands of the Bubalus Cebuensis is similar to the Asian water buffalo, they would have to find ways to cool their body temperature just like the Asian water buffalo.
However, unlike the Asian water buffalo, the habitat of the Pygmy water buffalo was a lot more smaller in area size. Most of the 7000 islands of Philippines are only one to two kilometres squared, with Mindanao and Luzon, the two largest islands of Philippines being around 100,000 kilometres squared. Having migrated to a smaller habitat, this will mean that the food resource would not be as plentiful as larger lands. The Pygmy water buffalo is also a herbivore and only eats plants, grass, vegetation and sometimes even bark and wood.
Still classified as a water buffalo, the Pygmy water buffalo would necessarily spend time in water or mud. Animals that migrated to the islands either migrated from the land bridges formed during the 'ice age' or swam short distances between the several thousand islands. It shows that the Philippines also had water sources and would provide the Pygmy water buffalo with places to wallow for cooling down their body temperature.
Behavioural Adaptations
Does not necessarily travel in herds
Unlike the modern day water buffalos, the Pygmy water buffalo does not necessarily travel in herds. They are often found wandering alone or with one or two other water buffalos. Environmental pressure that may have resulted into this type of independence may be because of the fact that there are hardly or no predators to be found on the islands that the Bubalus Cebuensis inhabits. This may point out that the modern day water buffalos travel in herds is because of the threat that predators have against them. Therefore, due to the same habitat of the Pygmy water buffalo, they do not travel in herds as there is no predator that poses a threat against it. This type of behaviour does not really 'help' the Bubalus Cebuensis but may help prevent fatal fights that may happen between the male water buffalos in herds.
Wallowing in water and mud/ Swims short distances
The Pygmy water buffalo is similar to its ancestor whom scientists believe swam short distances between the islands when they migrated to the Cebu island in the Philippines. Similar to the modern water buffalos, the Pygmy water buffalo enjoys wallowing in water and mud in order to cool down their body temperature in such hot and humid climates of their habitats which will also help prevent insect bites due to the layer of thick mud that will dry up on their skin. This adaptation allows the Pygmy water buffalo to travel around the different islands (those that are in reach) and also shows that they are able to adapt with the resources provided by their habitats.
Structural Adaptations
Island Dwarfing/Insular Dwarfism At the time of when the Pygmy water buffalo or dwarf buffalo was still alive, the continent had natural bridges across the lands during the ice age which allowed animals to migrate to other countries. It was that time when the Pygmy water buffalo migrated to the Cebu islands of Philippines. It is believed that during that time, the Pygmy water buffalo was still relatively large but as time passed and the ice sheets melted, the Pygmy water buffalo was stranded onto an island where it learnt to adapt over generations by becoming smaller and smaller in size. Environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation would be because of the small inclined space of the island, where the buffalo evolved as its size would not bring any advantages to it on a small island with less predators and little food resources. This adaptation would have helped the Pygmy water buffalo as adapting to the small and resource-limited island by evolving into a smaller size, the buffalo would not need as much food and there was no need for defending itself against predators which did not exist on the island.
Shorter limbs The Pygmy water buffalo has shorter limbs as compared to its modern day relative, the Asian water buffalo. The Pygmy water buffalo inhabits small islands and therefore the distances to travel within the island would be less compared to the distance travelled by Asian water buffalos. The environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation would be because of the short distances on the island and will therefore not require long limbs to help travel faster. Also, due to the fact that at the period of time when the Pygmy water buffalo inhabited the island, there were no predators to protect itself from so it does not require long limbs to escape from any predators. This adaptation would have allowed the Pygmy water buffalo to travel at a reasonable but not slow pace. It will not require much effort and energy to control shorter limbs.
Physiological Adaptations
Strong calf muscles
Although the Pygmy water buffalo may be small in size, their calf muscles are similar to the modern day water buffalos. Their strong calves help them adapt to swimming short distances between the islands in the Philippines as this is one of the environmental pressure that gave rise to this adaptation. One major pressure would be if the sources of food were scarce on one island, the strong calf muscles of the Pygmy water buffalo will allow it to swim across a short distance to another island where food may be found and will therefore prevent the water buffalo from dying of starvation.
Extinction Pressure
The reason of why the Pygmy water buffalo became extinct is not exactly clear. However, there are many possible reasons of how the Pygmy water buffalo became extinct. One reason would be because of the fact that the Pygmy water buffalo migrated to the Cebu islands, and because of this, it may not have adapted to the habitat there. The food source may not have fulfiled the diet of the Pygmy water buffalo and the extinction of this specie may have resulted from starvation.
Another reason of how it became extinct would be because of the habitat being an island. The island is surrounded by water and the Pygmy water buffalo may not have been adapted to swim and may therefore have drowned.
«Future Animal....... ..............................................................................................Modern Animal»
Pygmy Water Buffalo
(Fossil Animal)
The Pygmy water buffalo (Bubalus cebuensis) also known as 'dwarf buffalo' is an extinct 'dwarf' buffalo found in the Cebu islands of the Phillippines. The Pygmy water buffalo is related to the Asian water buffalo as they have the same genus 'bubalus', but unlike the Asian water buffalo, the Pygmy water buffalo is relatively small in size. It has only been documented in recent years of around 1995 although it was uncovered by Michael Armas, a mining engineer in 1958. It is believed that the Pygmy water buffalo once roamed the land a great 10,000 to 100,000 years ago.Scientific Classification (Bubalus Cebuensis)
Habitat
Standing at only two and one half feet and weighing 350 pounds, the extinct Pygmy water buffalo is nothing like the modern Asian water buffalo that it is related to. The Asian water buffalo stands at around 6 feet tall and its weight may vary to over 2000 pounds. Although its size may be a bigWith the fossil of the Bubalus Cebuensis unearthed in Philippines, it comes to show that the habitat of the Asian water buffalo and the Bubalus Cebuensis is not that different. The conditions of Philippines is mostly hot and humid, the type of conditions where water buffalos nowadays inhabit. The tropical climates of the Philippines implies that the weather is usually hot and therefore if the sweat glands of the Bubalus Cebuensis is similar to the Asian water buffalo, they would have to find ways to cool their body temperature just like the Asian water buffalo.
However, unlike the Asian water buffalo, the habitat of the Pygmy water buffalo was a lot more smaller in area size. Most of the 7000 islands of Philippines are only one to two kilometres squared, with Mindanao and Luzon, the two largest islands of Philippines being around 100,000 kilometres squared. Having migrated to a smaller habitat, this will mean that the food resource would not be as plentiful as larger lands. The Pygmy water buffalo is also a herbivore and only eats plants, grass, vegetation and sometimes even bark and wood.
Still classified as a water buffalo, the Pygmy water buffalo would necessarily spend time in water or mud. Animals that migrated to the islands either migrated from the land bridges formed during the 'ice age' or swam short distances between the several thousand islands. It shows that the Philippines also had water sources and would provide the Pygmy water buffalo with places to wallow for cooling down their body temperature.
Behavioural Adaptations
Does not necessarily travel in herdsUnlike the modern day water buffalos, the Pygmy water buffalo does not necessarily travel in herds. They are often found wandering alone or with one or two other water buffalos. Environmental pressure that may have resulted into this type of independence may be because of the fact that there are hardly or no predators to be found on the islands that the Bubalus Cebuensis inhabits. This may point out that the modern day water buffalos travel in herds is because of the threat that predators have against them. Therefore, due to the same habitat of the Pygmy water buffalo, they do not travel in herds as there is no predator that poses a threat against it. This type of behaviour does not really 'help' the Bubalus Cebuensis but may help prevent fatal fights that may happen between the male water buffalos in herds.
Wallowing in water and mud/ Swims short distances
The Pygmy water buffalo is similar to its ancestor whom scientists believe swam short distances between the islands when they migrated to the Cebu island in the Philippines. Similar to the modern water buffalos, the Pygmy water buffalo enjoys wallowing in water and mud in order to cool down their body temperature in such hot and humid climates of their habitats which will also help prevent insect bites due to the layer of thick mud that will dry up on their skin. This adaptation allows the Pygmy water buffalo to travel around the different islands (those that are in reach) and also shows that they are able to adapt with the resources provided by their habitats.
Structural Adaptations
Island Dwarfing/Insular Dwarfism
At the time of when the Pygmy water buffalo or dwarf buffalo was still alive, the continent had natural bridges across the lands during the ice age which allowed animals to migrate to other countries. It was that time when the Pygmy water buffalo migrated to the Cebu islands of Philippines. It is believed that during that time, the Pygmy water buffalo was still relatively large but as time passed and the ice sheets melted, the Pygmy water buffalo was stranded onto an island where it learnt to adapt over generations by becoming smaller and smaller in size. Environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation would be because of the small inclined space of the island, where the buffalo evolved as its size would not bring any advantages to it on a small island with less predators and little food resources. This adaptation would have helped the Pygmy water buffalo as adapting to the small and resource-limited island by evolving into a smaller size, the buffalo would not need as much food and there was no need for defending itself against predators which did not exist on the island.
Shorter limbs
The Pygmy water buffalo has shorter limbs as compared to its modern day relative, the Asian water buffalo. The Pygmy water buffalo inhabits small islands and therefore the distances to travel within the island would be less compared to the distance travelled by Asian water buffalos. The environmental pressure that could have given rise to this adaptation would be because of the short distances on the island and will therefore not require long limbs to help travel faster. Also, due to the fact that at the period of time when the Pygmy water buffalo inhabited the island, there were no predators to protect itself from so it does not require long limbs to escape from any predators. This adaptation would have allowed the Pygmy water buffalo to travel at a reasonable but not slow pace. It will not require much effort and energy to control shorter limbs.
Physiological Adaptations
Strong calf musclesAlthough the Pygmy water buffalo may be small in size, their calf muscles are similar to the modern day water buffalos. Their strong calves help them adapt to swimming short distances between the islands in the Philippines as this is one of the environmental pressure that gave rise to this adaptation. One major pressure would be if the sources of food were scarce on one island, the strong calf muscles of the Pygmy water buffalo will allow it to swim across a short distance to another island where food may be found and will therefore prevent the water buffalo from dying of starvation.
Extinction Pressure
The reason of why the Pygmy water buffalo became extinct is not exactly clear. However, there are many possible reasons of how the Pygmy water buffalo became extinct. One reason would be because of the fact that the Pygmy water buffalo migrated to the Cebu islands, and because of this, it may not have adapted to the habitat there. The food source may not have fulfiled the diet of the Pygmy water buffalo and the extinction of this specie may have resulted from starvation.Another reason of how it became extinct would be because of the habitat being an island. The island is surrounded by water and the Pygmy water buffalo may not have been adapted to swim and may therefore have drowned.
Bibliography
1. Borzo, G. (2006). New Dwarf Buffalo discovered by chance in the Philippines. Retrieved July 27, 2010 from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/fm-ndb100606.php2. Case Western Reserve University. (2010). Fossils of new pygmy water buffalo. Retrieved July 27, 2010 from http://blog.case.edu/case-news/2006/10/17/waterbuffalo
3. Science Daily. (2006). New Dwarf Buffalo. Retrieved July 27, 2010 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061017084321.htm